Volucella
Encyclopedia
Volucella is a genus
of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose arista
s and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial
. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and are often seen sunning on leaves. The larva
e of most species live in nests of bumblebees and social wasps, where they are detritivore
s and larval predators.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of large, broad-bodied, dramatic hover-flies. They have distinctive plumose arista
Arista (biology)
In insect anatomy the arista is a simple or variously modified apical or subapical bristle, arising from the third antennal segment. It is the evolutionary remains of antennal segments, and may sometimes show signs of segmentation...
s and the face is extended downward. They are strongly migratory and males are often territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
. Adults feed on nectar of flowers and are often seen sunning on leaves. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of most species live in nests of bumblebees and social wasps, where they are detritivore
Detritivore
Detritivores, also known as detritophages or detritus feeders or detritus eaters or saprophages, are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus . By doing so, they contribute to decomposition and the nutrient cycles...
s and larval predators.
Species
- Volucella abdominalis WiedemannChristian Rudolph Wilhelm WiedemannChristian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann , was a German physician, historian, naturalist and entomologist...
, 1830 - Volucella anastasia Hull, 1946
- Volucella anna Williston, 1887
- Volucella apicalis LoewHermann LoewFriedrich Hermann Loew was a German entomologist who specialised in the study of Diptera, an order of insects including flies, mosquitoes, gnats and midges...
, 1866 - Volucella apicifera Townsend, 1895
- Volucella avida Osten SackenKarl Robert Osten-SackenBaron Karl-Robert von Osten-Sacken was a Russian diplomat and entomologist. He served as the Russian consul general in New York during the American Civil War, living in the United States from 1856 to 1877....
, 1877 - Volucella barei Curran, 1925
- Volucella bombylansVolucella bombylansVolucella bombylans is a large species of hoverfly.It is larger than most hoverflies at 20mm long, and looks something like a Bumble bee with a furry black, yellow and/or white body, but is given away by its head and eyes which show it is a true fly, like a Blow-fly. It occurs in several forms each...
(LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
1758Systema NaturaeThe book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
) - Volucella comstocki Williston, 1887
- Volucella dracaena Curran
- Volucella elegans LoewHermann LoewFriedrich Hermann Loew was a German entomologist who specialised in the study of Diptera, an order of insects including flies, mosquitoes, gnats and midges...
, 1862 - Volucella eugenia Williston, 1887
- Volucella florida Hull, 1941
- Volucella fraudulenta Williston, 1891
- Volucella haagii Jaennicke, 1867
- Volucella inanisVolucella inanisVolucella inanis is a species of hoverfly belonging to the family Syrphidae.-Description:The adults reach long and can be encountered from early July to early September, feeding on flowers of various species such as yarrow , dill , heather , thistles and...
(LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
1758Systema NaturaeThe book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
) - Volucella inflataVolucella inflataVolucella inflata is a large species of European hoverfly.-Description:V. inflata is a large, short haired fly. Thought a little smaller than most European species of Volucella, Typical body length is 12-15mm and wing length is 11-13mm. The thorax is black with orange margins, and the scutellum is...
(FabriciusJohan Christian FabriciusJohan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
, 1794) - Volucella isabellina Williston, 1887
- Volucella jeddona BigotJacques-Marie-Frangile BigotJacques Marie Frangile Bigot was a French naturalist and entomologist most noted for his studies of Diptera. Born in Paris, where he lived all his life, though he had a small house in Quincy-sous-Sénart, Essonne.He became a member of the Entomological Society of France in 1844. His first paper...
, 1875 - Volucella linearis WalkerFrancis Walker (entomologist)Francis Walker was an English entomologist. He was one of the most prolific authors in entomology, and stirred controversy during his later life as his publications resulted in a huge number of junior synonyms....
, 1849 - Volucella liquida Erichson in Wagner, 1841
- Volucella lutzi Curran, 1930
- Volucella macrocephala Giglio-Tos, 1892
- Volucella matsumurai Han & Choi, 2001
- Volucella megacephala LoewHermann LoewFriedrich Hermann Loew was a German entomologist who specialised in the study of Diptera, an order of insects including flies, mosquitoes, gnats and midges...
, 1863 - Volucella mexicana MacquartJustin Pierre Marie MacquartJustin Pierre Marie Macquart was a French entomologist specialising in the study of Diptera. He worked on world species as well as European and described many new species.-Early years:...
, 1842 - Volucella nigra Greene, 1923
- Volucella nigricans CoquillettDaniel William CoquillettDaniel William Coquillett was an American entomologist who specialised in Diptera. He wrote Revision of the dipterous family Therevidae...
, 1898 - Volucella nigropicta Portschinsky, 1884
- Volucella opalescens Townsend, 1901
- Volucella pallens WiedemannChristian Rudolph Wilhelm WiedemannChristian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann , was a German physician, historian, naturalist and entomologist...
, 1830 - Volucella pellucensVolucella pellucensVolucella pellucens is a hover-fly. It occurs in much of Europe, and across Asia to Japan.It is about 15–16 mm in length with a broad body. It is mainly black, but the front part of the abdomen has a broad yellow band, giving it the appearance of a bee or wasp...
(LinnaeusCarolus LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
1758Systema NaturaeThe book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
) - Volucella plumatoides Hervé-Bazin, 1923
- Volucella postica SayThomas SayThomas Say was an American naturalist, entomologist, malacologist, herpetologist and carcinologist. A taxonomist, he is often considered to be the father of descriptive entomology in the United States. He described more than 1,000 new species of beetles and over 400 species of insects of other...
, 1829 - Volucella pusilla MacquartJustin Pierre Marie MacquartJustin Pierre Marie Macquart was a French entomologist specialising in the study of Diptera. He worked on world species as well as European and described many new species.-Early years:...
, 1842 - Volucella quadrata Williston, 1891
- Volucella satur Osten SackenKarl Robert Osten-SackenBaron Karl-Robert von Osten-Sacken was a Russian diplomat and entomologist. He served as the Russian consul general in New York during the American Civil War, living in the United States from 1856 to 1877....
, 1877 - Volucella sternalis Curran, 1930
- Volucella suzukii MatsumuraShonen Matsumurawas a Japanese entomologist .Born in Akashi, Hyōgo, Dr. Shonen Matsumura established Japan’s first course on entomology at Hokkaido University .The courses were both applied and theoretical...
, 916 - Volucella tamaulipana Townsend, 1898
- Volucella tau BigotJacques-Marie-Frangile BigotJacques Marie Frangile Bigot was a French naturalist and entomologist most noted for his studies of Diptera. Born in Paris, where he lived all his life, though he had a small house in Quincy-sous-Sénart, Essonne.He became a member of the Entomological Society of France in 1844. His first paper...
, 1883 - Volucella tricincta BigotJacques-Marie-Frangile BigotJacques Marie Frangile Bigot was a French naturalist and entomologist most noted for his studies of Diptera. Born in Paris, where he lived all his life, though he had a small house in Quincy-sous-Sénart, Essonne.He became a member of the Entomological Society of France in 1844. His first paper...
, 1875 - Volucella unipunctata Curran, 1926
- Volucella vesicularia Curran, 1947
- Volucella victoria Williston, 1887
- Volucella zonariaVolucella zonariaVolucella zonaria also called the hornet mimic hoverfly, is a European species of hoverfly.In Great Britain it was only known from two specimens prior to 1940, and so was regarded as rare...
(PodaNikolaus Poda von NeuhausNikolaus Poda von Neuhaus was an Austrian entomologist born in Vienna.Von Neuhaus was the author of Insecta Musei Graecensis , the first purely entomological work to follow the binomial nomenclature of Carolus Linnaeus.-External links:**...
, 1761)